Colon Cancer

Committed To Colonoscopy

With both his parents having succumbed to colorectal cancer (CRC), Richard Grzymek knows that genes aren't on his side. Still, when he noticed a bit of blood in his stool two years ago, he assumed his hemorrhoids were simply acting up.

His annual scheduled colonoscopy proved him wrong, revealing a large polyp close to his anus. A surgeon looked over the images and said, "I'm going to open you up like a book," recalls the Edmonton resident, 62.

Concerned about this extreme measure, Grzymek sought a second opinion and was told the polyp could probably be removed piece by piece. Once diagnosed, Legel was informed about gluten and the foods he needed to avoid. The long list included all prepared foods, which "pretty much ruled out eating out," he says.

The removed tissue was biopsied, and Grzymek got the good news he had hoped for: no cancer in the polyp. "The doctor told me it could have turned cancerous in another six to eight months," he says. "In hindsight, I should have taken action as soon as I noticed the blood in my stool."

Six months after the removal of the polyp, a sigmoidoscopy — a visual examination of the lower third of the colon with a tubular instrument called a sigmoidoscope — gave Grzymek a clean bill of health. But a more recent sigmoidoscopy identified "a bit of a growth," says Grzymek, currently awaiting biopsy results. He keeps anxiety at bay by reminding himself that "I'm in good medical hands."

Now committed to a diet rich in grains and vegetables and a daily regimen of aerobic and strength training, Grzymek traded his high-stress position in a coatings company for a series of "interesting and varied jobs. Someone would ask me to help them out, I would do it, then move on to the next thing."

Aware that colonoscopy has probably saved his life, Grzymek feels no hesitation about undergoing the procedure. He understands how other people might, though. Musing that "the fear of ‘finding something' may cause people to bury their heads in the sand" and noting the excellent prognosis of early colorectal cancer, Grzymek argues that "people at high risk should be more afraid of not having a colonoscopy than of having one."

The preparation is a little uncomfortable, he concedes, but "the procedure isn't as intrusive as it may sound. And when you consider the benefits, the discomfort is not even a bump on the road — not even a ripple."